Turn it up: Rock n Roll photo shoot for Soma magazine from Mike Kobal on Vimeo.

Liza and Ingvild turned it up during my photo shoot for Soma magazine (on stands now), the music issue, very hot! A word of caution, nsfw, lots of skin!
Panasonic Gh1 for video, photos a mix of Gh1 and Canon 7D. Lenses: Gh1 kit lens, 14-140mm, 7-14mm, Zeiss 1.4/50mm, Canon 17-55mm, Canon 1.4 35mm,
a mix of daylight and soft Arri’s. Edited in FCP. Music: Twistedtracks.com I will post photos from this shoot in a couple days.
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Dirty Laundry: Drop Off Service Only: Photo Shoot: Fall/Winter 2010 Collection from Mike Kobal on Vimeo.

With a label name like Bedfordstreetlaundry, what choice did we have? To stay true to its name we headed to the West Village and shot at Bedford Laundry, on Bedford street. Drop off Service only. Our model Cordelia was a little confused at first but got into it pretty quickly. The photos were shot with the Canon 5D2, Zeiss 50mm 1,4, 16-35mm, 24-70mm, the video exclusively with the Panasonic Lumix GH1, the standard Lens, 14-140mm, the Zeiss 50mm 1.4, the Panasonic 7-14mm and the Olympus 17mm 2.8. Iso range on the GH1 800-1600. Edit in FCP.
The challenge of course was to remote control the camera in the top secret gyroscopic underwater housing which we placed in a working washing machine w/o detergent and operated at gentle cycle. It worked as promised, no leakage into the housing and extremely stable during all spin cycles, since I signed a NDA you will have to wait until 04/01/11 to get the total scoop. If you like what you hear: headbangamuzik Hope you enjoy!
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New York City’s only bicycle Track: Kissena Velodrome from Mike Kobal on Vimeo.

Went there on a late afternoon and shoot til sun down. The track is fast but has may bumps. A lot of fun and very addictive. Already have too many bikes, now I am seriously thinking about adding a track bike. This was shot with the Panasonic Lumix GH1, the standard 14-140mm and the 7-14mm. I also used the Zeiss 50mm 1.4 via adapter. Tripod, hand held (steady cam) and mounted on various places on the bike. I had a huge studio clamp with a fluid head attached, clamped it to the seat post, handlebar, tightened it to the max, after one lap it was loose. The camera and lenses survived, hitting the ground only once, and countless laps of rattle. I am impressed with this little camera. I should mention that the rider, Thomas Hassler, does not sweat and does not rest. I couldn’t believe it. You are looking at the future of cycling :O) Hope you have as much fun watching this movie as it was making it. Edit in FCP, converted to b/w, added grain and curves, that’s it. very straight forward. If you like what you hear, one of my all time favorites: the-streets.co.uk/
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Rel in the Studio, Stop motion: Canon 7D from Mike Kobal on Vimeo.

A full day fashion shoot-with incredible model Rel-in less then a minute! Check out the fashion spread in Zoot magazine, spring/summer edition, on stands in two weeks. Shot with the Canon 5D2 and 7D. The shots here are from the 7D, with 17-55mm and the new Zacuto finder. Quick time pro to create the sequence, prepped the files in ps, on my new MultiSync LCD 2690WUXi. I used Arri lights with softboxes. If you like what you hear: Positively Dark Free Music
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Vimeo at NAB 2010 from Stephen Niebauer on Vimeo.

Steven Niebauer and Andrea Allen team up and bring us the best in HD DSLR gear, sit back and enjoy!

Alter Ego from Mike Kobal on Vimeo.

Got the idea for this short film during a photo shoot with Thomas Gibbons and Thomas Hassler, took approximately two hours to shoot. Panasonic GH1, slow shutter speed, Vari filter, Voigtlander 40mm and 20mm (Canon to micro 4/3 adapter) 7-14mm, 70-200mm, tripod. manual white balance. Hope you enjoy and thanks for watching. If you find this information helpful, please consider helping me maintaining this blog by purchasing your gear through my product links to B&H. It will cost you nothing and allows me to keep adding! Thank you.

To Earth I Come:Jeremy Scott 2010:Canon T2i, 550D from Mike Kobal on Vimeo.

There really wasn’t enough time to shoot a proper video during this photo shoot for Zoot magazine with Sophie (check it out – on the stands in two weeks), but a friend of mine just purchased the T2i and dropped by my place at the right moment. I turned contrast and sharpness all the way down, Saturation down two notches, white balance to cloudy, too bad there are only white balance presets, but it will be fine for most situations, I guess. Slammed on my new Zeiss 50mm 1.4 and stuck it in my pocket (large pocket). The Camera is super light and tiny, much closer in size to the Panasonic GH1 then the 7D. It has the best LCD screen of all Canon’s! The tone curve, compared to the Canon 5D mark II and Eos 7D is a lot steeper and the colors are more saturated, it was partly cloudy the day of the shoot and the light was soft, so no problems there, in a higher contrast situation the steep tone curve could be problematic despite the short comings, I do love this little camera. Enjoy! If you like what you hear: http://www.entropymusic.com
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Another Key Tomorrow: The Story Beyond the Still Chapter 3 (Submission) from Mike Kobal on Vimeo.

Thrilled my entry made top 5!
http://vimeo.com/groups/beyondthestill
Things are getting complicated now.
My entry to the Canon beyond the still contest. Hopefully you guys will watch and enjoy it. Everything was shot with the Canon 5D2 at iso 2000 to 3400, including the daylight clips, using a vari filter for open aperture and high iso for the gritty look. Lenses used: 70-200/4, 24-70/2.8, 17-40/4, 16-35/2.8, 24/1.4. Stitched together in fcp, 3way color corrector, no noise reduction, or any other filters. Before starting this project I asked my friend Dikayl Rimmasch to collaborate as a film maker but he was tied up with a job and gave me permission to use one of his songs instead. And a big thanks to Constantin Philippou, who wrote a big part of the music for this piece. The third song was purchased from Twistedtracks.com, and of course I want to thank Wilder Lee, who provides the drum beat. myspace.com/thewilderlee . Big thanks to everybody who collaborated, on such short notice, I will post a complete list of credits tomorrow.
Please watch the previous episodes, Job Security, chapter 2
and Vincent Laforet’s chapter one here: vimeo.com/groups/beyondthestill
Starring:
Thomas Gibbons
Jamy Dayrit
Lenka Dayrit
Wilder Lee
Miriam Werner
Nikolay Levitsky
Denis Chebotarev
Hair: Robert Lyon
Make up: Jordy Poon
Styling: Signe Yberg
Special Thanks To Lucy @ Lycy’s Bar, the best bar in the world
facebook.com/#!/pages/Lucys-the-best-bar-in-the-world/471247190522?ref=ts

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NYC Sounds: LIVE Wilder Lee from Mike Kobal on Vimeo.

Wilder Lee, rocking the underground tunnel between 7th Ave and 6th Ave, spotted him on my way home, pulled out my 7D and started shooting. I hope to catch him again at a better place for better acoustics, he informed me later that soon after I left the cops told him to “pack it up”, what a shame. Canon Eos 7D with 17-40mm and 24-70mm, Rode mic, Iso 3200, small tripod and bean bag. Grading in FCP. If you like what you hear, http://www.myspace.com/thewilderlee
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Winter in Central Park, NYC: Canon Eos 7D: 720/60p from Mike Kobal on Vimeo.

Not very often do we get so much snow here in the city, packed my 7D, a few lenses, small tripod, bean bag and headed to the park. I should really call this a weather proofing test, the gear was soaking wet after about 10min. Changing lenses was a challenge, I ended up using the Tokina 12-24mm and the Nikon 75-150mm (still my fav compact tele lens). No problems with the Camera body and/or lenses. Everything was shot with auto white balance, neutral color settings at 720/60p, Iso ranging from 200 to 400. Grading has been kept to a minimum, only contrast enhancement, no color correction. Music: http://www.entropymusic.com
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RINGERS from Dikayl Rimmasch on Vimeo.

Synopsis: Frank goes on the run when his “investment” takes an unexpected turn. SUN-ARC PICTURES B/W RT 16;00 min ©2010 Written and Directed by Dikayl RImmasch. Starring Jason Alan Griffin and Sid Williams. I really dig this short “film noir” flick. Dikayl has been shooting with the Canon 5D2 since its introduction. Dikayl: ” This film was shot on 35,s16, and 16mm. Ilford stock. Unsupervised ransfers to SD (digibeta) which was hit and miss. The ending shot was composited from color stock using blue screen and a background plate shot from the Bay bridge,CA. Subway sequence was created from several locations and a train set peice. Working simultaneously right now on color correction from another film (5d mark 2 footage) and it really strikes me how much of a problem the jello is when shooting action sequences. *Oh, and we waited two days for the pigeons…”

from Russia, with love:Irina Denisova: Canon Eos 7D from Mike Kobal on Vimeo.

Another quick test during my beauty shoot with Irina, trying the new indislider mini and a few longer lenses. I really like the crop factor on the 7D for beauty work, a 50mm produces the same field of view as an 80mm on a full frame body and so on, allowing for more distance between the model and the lens which helps avoid distortion, and frees up space for lights. Shooting video clips at such a close range is quite challenging, the slightest camera shake ruins the footage. I was pretty excited to try out my new indislider, a few clips were shot with it, will do a separate review on it later, during the beauty shoot, results were mixed, too many “stutters”, due to the weight of the longer lenses, (only used perfect clips in the video). Lenses used: Voigtlander 40mm, Sigma 50mm, 1.4, Canon 100mm 2.0, Canon 70-200mm. If you like what you hear: http://nealwilliamsmusic.com

Glimpse of Desire: Canon Eos 7D, Canon Eos 5D mark II from Mike Kobal on Vimeo.

A very short clip with Aymeline during my photo shoot with her (not enough time to shoot more video). First clip, Canon 5D2, the rest was shot with the Canon 7D, used the 5D2 for photographs. Lenses used: Sigma 50mm 1.4, Canon 70-200 4.0, Voigtlander 40mm 2.0. lights, 4 Tungsten softboxes. Iso speed 100. Music:
Gratisvibes.com
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Temenos, a very quiet place: Canon 5D mark II, 1080/30p from Mike Kobal on Vimeo.

“The name Temenos is taken from a Greek word meaning the sacred space surrounding a temple or an altar. Carl Jung used this same word to refer to the inner space deep within us where soul-making takes place.” states the first sentence on Temenos’s web page. I just spent the weekend there, the temperature below the freezing point, windy, one foot of snow, no electricity, water or phone/internet connection. Did i miss it? Yes, but only for the first couple of hours. Once the stove heated up and the water (from the well) got hot, everything was good. This place is very quiet and peaceful. Canon 5D2, 4 fully charged batteries (which I kept in my pocket), to keep the weight down I brought the fantastic Canon 70-200mm 4.0, 17-40mm and the Sigma 50mm 1.4 (the only heavy piece of glass). my fingers got stuck on the tripod legs and I had to go inside to warm up about every 15min, leaving the gear outside to avoid condensation on the glass ( I took the battery out every time). It was a challenge to keep the camera from shaking in the wind, esp with the 70-200mm attached. Shot in color and converted to b/w only using the 3way color adjustment in fcp. Music: http://mathieu.lozinguez.free.fr/mp3.html
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NYC Sounds: LIVE Saw Lady: Canon Eos 7D, 1080/24p from Mike Kobal on Vimeo.

Knowing there was a good chance the Saw Lady would be playing today, I grabbed my gear and headed towards Grand Central Station. I could hear her play long before I spotted her. Please let me introduce you to the Saw Lady. The Instrument is based on a large logging saw, despite her peaceful appearance the NYC Police slammed her with a $150 fine and she had to have the teeth removed from the blade. She insists it does not effect the sound, visually of course, I would have preferred a real saw! Shot handheld, Canon 7D, 17-40mm, Iso 1600, Sennheiser MKE400. Merry Christmas! If you find this information helpful, please consider helping me maintaining this blog by purchasing your gear through my product links to B&H. It will cost you nothing and allows me to keep adding! Thank you.

Screen Test: Olga Serova: Canon Eos 7D from Mike Kobal on Vimeo.

Shot before our photo session, just for fun and to relax. I really like the lightness in Olga’s moves and look forward shooting with her again after the holidays.
Canon 7D with 17-55mm, multiple softboxes, green screen, music: http://www.myspace.com/fletcherbeadon
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NYC Sounds:LIVE underground:Canon 7D,1080/24p from Mike Kobal on Vimeo.

Finally got around doing my first subway music sampler video, great talent out there and this is the first of a series. It was a challenge not to get run over, esp during rush hour, poor lighting conditions really called for the Canon 5D mark II but I was set on shooting it in 24p. The 7D holds up very well, most clips ISO1600, 3200, contrast enhancement and b/w conversion in post. Steep curves applied to some clips bring out the noise, no noise reduction applied here since I really like the grainy look for this subject matter. Keeping it raw and real. Shot hand held, mostly, 17-55mm, 12-24mm, 11-16mm, wide open. Sound recorded with Sennheiser MKE 400.I am still waiting to get info for the two first gentlemen who can be found at the 72nd street station and the subway passage from 6th to 7th ave. For now check out the www.undergroundhorns.com
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Sophie: Canon 7D Slow motion Test from Mike Kobal on Vimeo.

A quick test clip during my photo shoot with Sophie. Playback at approx 40-50%. Time remapping and color correction in after effects. Canon 7D with 17-55mm, aperture 4, shutter speed 1/125, ISO 100. Lighting: 5 Tungsten lights, indirect, against large reflector boards. Buy the music here: Kraftwerk
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New York Blues: Canon 7D, Canon 5D mark II from Mike Kobal on Vimeo.

Walking around mid town, east village and china town with no particular goal other then then to capture traditional street photography inspired video clips, which I am a big fan of. Check it out and let me know what you think. 0:25through 1:10 was shot with the 7D and 12-24mm mounted on the Flycam. The rest tripod, steady bag and hand held. Lenses: 70-200mm, 100mm 2.0, Sigma 50mm 1.4, 17-55mm. 5D for clips at 1:37, 2:10 and 2:20, at ISO 3200 and 50mm 1.4 an 100mm 2.0, the rest was shot with the 7D, ISO range 400 (daylight) to 3200. Grading in FCP, mostly just desaturated and contrast added. The night clips from the 7D required noise reduction just to match the night shots from the 5D straight out of the camera, truly outstanding when it comes to low light, the 5D. The 7D exhibits more noise (about 1 to 1.5 stops behind 5D in terms of sensitivity) and can’t quite match the 5D’s dynamic range . The two cameras complement each other very well. Hope you enjoy! Music: Stumblebum Brass Band
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